Passing the First Session

Session. There is a lot of meaning in this word. That is the first and the most serious fear of all first-year students. The fear which is being constantly “fed” by parents and senior grade students. First serious study, first crib, first luck summoning… Humans are made in that way: everything new scares us. While students are getting ready to a session for the first time, they literally dive into the sea of absolutely new feelings, emotions and worries. Exams at school are much different than exams at university, if we consider at the level of responsibility and the amount of independent work. But what about the first session?

The level of knowledge in a head of an average student (attending at least 70% of lectures during the term) will allow them to pass all session exams at least with a satisfactory grade. Will this grade be higher or lower? This depends on the number of lectures they attend.

Students who study 24 hours a day 7 days a week are not taken into account here. The same thing goes for those who remember about being students only a week before the session starts. The first ones pass all exams automatically, and the second part have only one deal: to wait for a miracle to happen.

First Session Tips List

Still, all students are afraid of their first session. That is why some rules should be remembered:

Grasp the fact: the first session is the easiest one. It could seem to be a paradox, but things actually go that way. Even lecturers try not to push on students during their first session. They see first-year newcomers as children, not as students.

If you attended classes regularly, you’ve got knowledge in your head. All you need is to “refresh” it by reading your notes once again one day before the exam, without overwhelming your brain with numerous tries to learn the term material for half an hour.

Write cribs. Not to use them! Don’t count on doing that at any case! Lecturers have got such a great experience in finding those cribs you can’t even imagine. That is why those cribs are required for you to calm yourself down, and to refresh your knowledge once again.

Lecturers note your activity during classes, too. Both positive and negative one. That is why you can gain additional points to your final grade by answering the questions and taking part in discussions during lectures and seminars.

Go to sleep earlier. If you fall asleep at 5 AM after a night of studying while the exam is at 9 AM, this won’t be profitable, it can even harm your knowledge and health. Plus, if you try to learn something at night, this is not good because your tired brain is not able to accept new information. It will be much more effective if you wake up at 6 to 7 AM and study a little then. The brain can remember new knowledge better after having a normal rest.

Try coming to the exam earlier. It seems to be scary, but when the exam has just begun, the lecturer is fresh and cheerful. A chance for a lecturer to be tired and irritated is almost 100% if you are one of the last students to come. Not good.

Try to answer calmly and surely. Don’t show your doubts even if they actually appear. This is sometimes taken into account along with your knowledge.

Of course, you can’t forget about your appearance. A formal suit is not obligatory, but a clean shirt will be rewarded.

Do not argue with the lecturer while other students are nearby. If you do not agree with the decision, wait until the exam is over and talk to your instructor in private. If he or she just made a mistake, it can be corrected then. If you try to cause a scandal, you won’t have a single chance to prove anything.

These tips are a basis of getting prepared to your first exam session. Of course, many things depend on a lecturer and a course, but the main preparation rules are similar for any exam.